Peters



- (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet; 1.

A; WESTON; REVERSING MECHANISM FOR ROLLING MILLS. No. 292,968. Patented Peb. 5, 1884.

WITNESSES INVENTOR Q By his fltforneys N. PETERS. Pholb-UlhcgmpMn WashW D. C-

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. A. WESTON.

A REVERSING MEGHANISM FOR ROLLING MILLS- No. 292,968 Patented Feb. 5, 1884;

WITNESSES lNVENTOR %23 'lVvoma/fi fLTVes on.

By he s Attorneys fi I WE? N. PETERS. PIMo-Lrflmgnpher. Washington. 0. c.

(No Modl.) 4 Sheets'Sheet 3.

.T. A. WESTON. REVERSING MECHANISM FOR ROLLING MILLS.

Nd. 292,968. Patented Feb. 5,- 1884.

WITNESSES INVENTOR n. Pmris. mm-ulfid m Washinglm. mc.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 T; A. WESTON. REVE'RSING MECHANISMFORROLLING MILLS.

No. 292,968. v Patented Feb. 5, 1884.

By R Jtfanwys v N. PETERS, Pl'nto-Lilhognpfun Wahinghmhc.

II TE ATES PATENT] OFFI E.

THOMAS A. W'ESTON, OE STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALE & TOWNE'llIANUFACTUR-ING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

RE VERS|NG MECHANISM FORROLLlNG-M|LLS..

, srncrrrca'rron forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,968, dated February 5, 1884.

' Application filed Kovember 24, 1883. (No model.) i

of Stamford, Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mechanism for Reversing Rolling-Mills, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

My invention hasfor its object the reversing of the rolls of rolling-mills used in the manufacture of blooms, ingots, railway-rails, plates,

sheets, or other rolled metallic forms, but it is also in part otherwise applicable, especially where heavy, powerful, and durable frictional driving and reversing or breaking gear is required.

Prior to the date of my invention several systems of clutch reversed rolls for rolling rails, bars, and plates were tried with more or less dissatisfaction. The clutch first employed as one of the required elementsin reversing such rolls was the wellknown forked or claw clutch, sometimes appropriately called a"slap-bang clutch; Its

concussions and breakages induced the attempted use of various frictional devices some operated by hydraulic pressure-mono of which, however, have been permanently adopted in practice. The uniform ill success of all clutch-operated heavy reversiblerolls has caused their general disuse and the substitution of the American system of threehigh rolls and ordinary fiy-wheel engines, or theEnglish system of reversing engines without fly-wheel, in which the engines are reversed along with all the connected gearing, in order to reverse the rolls. In the latter system, although the advantages of reversible rolls are partially secured, there is an excessive waste of steam, because the absence of a fly-wheel necessitates maximum power to be constantly expended, even for minimum resistances, with the attendant evil of variable speed in the rolls'and a consequent tendency to irregularity and want of homogeneousness inthe rolled products. To the three-high system of rollsgreat objection exists in the increased outlay for the larger number of rolls used, also in the necessity for lifting the bloom or bar from the bottom to the top roll and of receiving it from the rolls at different levels.

A further objection thereto, in the opinion of many operators of plate-mills, (whichhas re sulted in the expensive use of reversible engines, as above stated,) isthat a better contexture of surface in a rolled plate or sheet is 5 5 obtained by the back and-forth action thereon of reversible rolls. a

I In previous systems of frictionally-revcrsed rolls the frictional devices employed were, by their own inherent mechanicallimitations', re stricted to comparatively small and insufficien t areas in their frictional"surfaces as, for example, appears by the English Patent No. 2,654c of 1871. l

L To seize a rolling-mill train at full speed by a frictional grip, and reverse its motion -abruptly and often is the first duty required in a clutch for a reversiblerolls. l Such intense frictional action involves the rapid translation of many units of mechanical force back into the equivalent in units of heat, and the equally rapid diffusion of this constantly-developed heat is the-next requirement, and a necessi tyJ XVith friction areas in extent only a fraction of what was needed, the frictional devices in prior systems required enormous initial press ure to hold the surfaces in contact, and generally performed the brake duty by abrasion of their surfaces, and that of driving by the fine interlocking engagement of their abraded 80, faces, while cooling off could be effectedonly by stopping the mill. Besides these defects, the sudden action of the great power employed tobring two solid frictional surfaces into engagement produces injurious concussion. The

result has been the uniform disuse of such frictional devices beyond a first trial.

Invview of the foregoing elemental condil tions of satisfactory working-brake and revers ing mechanism for heavy rolls, and inview 0 l of the defects of the existing brake and reversing mechanism above recited, my invention has for its object to secure economical, relia ble, and perfect frictional braking and reversing action without percussion like that "of the 9 5 slap-bang clutch, and the ordinary frictional reversing mechanism a for: rolling-mills with out the waste of power and variable speed resulting from the employment of reversing-engines, without the necessity of great initial which,

Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a rollingmill embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the same, omitting the rolls. Fig.

3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section, showing the clutch-shaft and clutches. Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly in section, on the line 5 5 ofFig. 4. Fig. 6 is asectional view through a part of a disk-clutch, showing water-passages through the disks drawn on the ,line 6 6 of Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a view on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

I employ the ordinary heavy rolls and housings, which I need not describe further than to say that the rolls are driven as usual by the main clutchshaft A and are reversed with it.

S indicates the main driving-shaft, which rotates continuously in the direction of the arrow, and carries the spur-wheel T,which gears with one of the clutch-wheels I, loose upon the clutchshaft A, and rotates it constantly in the direction of its arrow. The driving-shaft S also carries the spur-wheel U,which gears with the spur-wheel V on the sh aft IV, which in turn carries the spur-wheel X, gearing with the other clutch-wheel, I, also loose upon the clutch-shaft, and rotates it constantly in the direction of its arrow, oppositely to the other clutch-wheel.

I operate the friction brak e an d clutch meehtioned English Patent No. 2,654 of 1871, or

by other devices hereinafter explained.

taining a double-acting piston, C of usual form, to which any convenient fluid-press'uresuch as that of steam or wateris admitted through supply and discharge pipes D and I) centrally connected with the said revolving pressure-cylinder by suitable stuffing-boxes or thus frictionally unite them and their connected clutch-wheels I alternately to the shaft. The simple cessation or withdrawal of the fluid-pressure from the piston leaves my disks v unloaded, ,and consequently uncoupled, and

the reversal of the pressure transfers the braking and clutching action from one set of disks to the other. The fluid-pressure may be derived from an accumulator or other convenient source under the regulation of valves in v the ordinary manner.

I' do not confine myself in practice to this particular means of applying pressure to the disks, as two pistons at opposite ends of the shaft A may be employed, if desired, each operating onone set only of disks; but the means above described are preferable. Other operating mechanism may be employedas, for example, the toggle-clutch-operating device of T. IV. Oapen, United States Patent No.

229,092, of June 22, 1880, the sliding collar of the said device being operated by a hand-lever, or by a third pressure-cylinder, or by any convenient means; but I prefer the means shown.

It will be observed that the pressure-plates G are each provided with a disk-carrying hub,

K. and guard-ring L, for retaining the disks in place on the hub when released from pressure. These rings also serve to pull the disks longitudinally upon their keys, thereby hastening their release from each other and the disengagement of the spur-wheels I from the shaft A. I

One single-acting piston may be placed at each end of the clutch-shaft, and both pistons united by a common piston-rod to the crossbar F and double-pressure plate G. In this arrangement the fluid-pressu re is admitted to each cylinder alternately for alternately clutching and releasing either clutchwheel.

In lieu of a central piston rod or bar on the axial line of the clutch-shaft, I may employ two or more sliding bars or keys sunk longitudinally in the surface of the said shaft, or placed in longitudinal holes near the said surface, and by preference arranged concentrically to the shaft and equidistant from each other. If desired, the piston-rod may be (lispensed with altogether, and the fluid carried bypipes into cylinders and against pistons R, connected directly with the double-pressure f plate G, so that the fluiditself will act di- I provide the revolving clutch-shaft A, at its outer end,with a pressure-cylinder, B, conother, and are separated or slightly spaced apart, thus exposing freely all their surfaces to the air and water currents, for the entrance, diffusion, and escape of which the parts are constructed, as best shown in Figs. 6 and 7, where M indicates a cut-away portion of the disks, and N an annular space between the peripheries of the disks and the interior of the ITO and breakage of teeth.

clutch-wheel I, for the admission of air and water. 1

O indicatestother cut-away portions of the disks, and 1? spaces between the inner margins of the disks and the hubs K. The water can be supplied from pipesor hose conven iently located,which are not illustrated in the drawings, and it will discharge through the various openings in the mechanism. The water-current, in removing Continually the acquired heat of friction, also removes all dust, cinder, or other matter tending to undue wear, and serves as a lubricator. Oil or any other lubricant may also be used, as the extensive surfaces of the disks yield a large total frictional effect for braking or for driving, even with the low frictional coefficient due to lubrication and a low initial pressure. Their reduction by wear is thus made very gradual, and their removal,whenit is required, is easy and at the minimum cost, owing to their simple form.

It will now be clearly perceived that, in addition to the immense frictional wear and perfect heat diffusion realized in my invention, it presents also immunity from the hammerand-anvil percussion of a powerful hydraulic ram upon a single dead surface, such as occurs in other forms of reversing'gear, wherein the clutch consists of' a single face, either fiat or conical. The small area for friction of the latter forms requires a hydraulic cylinder of enormous power to effect the initial couplingpressure, the sudden intensity of which, acting upon the dead mass of clutch-wheels and shaft, tends to their crystallization, fracture, and displacement, to rapid wear upon the shaft-collars, In my inventionthe pressure of the small hydraulic cylinder is received upon the line of loose and separated disks, which close up under it with a bellowslike or air-spring action, as, first the air, then the surplus water, is expelled from between their many faces. The seizing action of all the disksis thus slightly delayed or graduated, softening the first impact of the driving-power upon the parts reversed, while securing promptness and certainty of action in the clutches both in driving and releasing, and economizing every instant of time in working the rolled piece when it is hottest and most plastic, thus saving power and promoting quick, uniform, and continuous'worln claim herein as new, and

The application for this patent is a division of that filed by me May 29, 1883, and n umbered 96,506, and the appended claims are extracted from said application. In this application I do not claim the combination of a clutch-shaft having a central bore and carrying a loose wheel with a friction-box in one of its sides, a fluid-pressure cylinder fixed to and revolving with one end of said shaft, and provided with a fixed pipe for supplying and discharging the fluid-pressure, a piston within said cylinder, a rod arranged within the central bore of the clutch-shaft and attached to the piston, a cross-head centrally connected with said rod and extending through longitudinal slots in the clutch-shaft, in which slots the,

cross-head slides, and an annular disk or plate connected to the cross-head, to which plate a longitudinal sliding motion is imparted by the action of the pistonrod and cross-head, substantially as set forth, the same being my claim in the said prior application.

Havingthus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. I11 combination with the rolls, clutchshaft A, and loose reversing clutch-wheels I of a rolling-mill, two Weston friction-disk clutches, pressure-plates, piston-rod, and operating fluid-pressure cylinder, r substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination,with shaft A, of'a clutchwheel, I, a Veston friction-disk clutch, anda single pressure-plate, G, pistonrod and cylinder for operating the same, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a clutch-wheel, I, a Veston friction-disk clutch, and a pressureplate, G, provided with hub K and guard-ring L, substantially as described. 4. The combination of a clutch-wheel, I, a Vveston friction disk clutch notches or cut-away portions N and O, for the circulation of air and water, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub-- scribed my name this 20th day of November, A. D. 1883. I

THOS. A. WESTON.

Witnesses: Q

MARcUs S. Horxms, C. P. ELWELL. r

provided witl1'95 

